Crematory.



y K. FISCHER.

CRE-MATORY. lou mso u'N APPLICAT E22. 1912. l V f L15698. Patented 0t.12,1915.

WITNESSES [NVE/W08 www @fw l 7671420@ v Br .Y WAM Anom Y En sra'rns rnfrnnr nerim@ DALBERT K. FISCHE, OF PHILDELHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO SCHUTTE & KOERTING COMPANY, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA;

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ADALBERT KoER'rING FISCHER, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Philadel hia, in the county of Philadelphia and tate of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Crematories, of whlch the following is a specification.

This invention relates to Crematories and comprises the arrangement `of primary and secondary combustion chambers and an air supply chamber and system, all as hereln fully set forth, whereby the cremation of organic material can be carried on in a practical and efficient manner, and it 1s particularly concerned with an arrangement of means for reducing the delays between operl for holding the ashes.

ations due to the cooling and heating of the combustion chamber, thereby enabling thev present apparatus to perform lts intended functionr with substantial continuity of action.

In the accompanying illustration whereln I have shown more or less diagrammatically an apparatus exemplifying the present invention, Figure 1 is a vertical section of a cremation apparatus on the line 1-1 of Fig.

2; and Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the same, looking down on line 2-2 of Fig. 1.

In the showing of Fig. 1, element 1 is a primary. combustion chamber having a roof 2 and rear wall 3. In its front wall 4 is an entrance opening closed by door 5, which may be of one or more sections and may be hinged. At its base the chamber is provided with hearth 6'upon which may rest a coffin or other receptacle 7. Tray 8 may be used At its front the primary chamber is provided with a downtake 9 bridged by slab 10 forming a platform in front of the door. -The downtake communicates with a backwardly prolonged flue 11 terminating in a flue connection 12 at an angle to cause it to reverse the direc tion of ow of the gases. This flue connection opens obliquely into the secondary combustion chamber '13 which extends forwardly to the stack (not shown). Through the back wall of the primary chamber enters an air conduit or hood 14 having a ring valve 15 governing the supply of air thereto. Disposed within the hood is a gas or oil burner comprising a burner tube 16 into which air Specification of Letters Iatent. Application med June 22, 1912. serial No. 705,184.

- 'CBEMATOBY.

Patented Oct. 12, 1915.'

may enter near its base through openings controlled by ring valve 17. Centrally spaced within this tube is an oil-jet nozzle 18 supplied with oil through the header 19, valve 19a, preheater 20, which may be a furnace of any suitable type, and a pi e leading from an oil storage tank 22. Ks shown, the oil in this storage vtank may be subjected to pressure by pipe 23, valved at 24, and leading from a tank '25 of compressed fiuid such as carbon dioXid, but any other source of pressure can be used with equal effect, as, for instance, an oil pump. The air conduit 14 and burner tube 16 both serve to admit air to the flame, as well as for other purposes later described, and they derive such air from the preliminary air chamber 26 which is located immediately back of and adjacent to the two combustion chambers in heat-absorbing relation thereto, and which serves, among other things, as a preheater for the air introduced into the combustion or crematory chambers. The secondary combustion chamber is provided with a ring-valved air conduit 30 inclosing a burner tube such as 16 and an oil nozzle such as 18, and also supplied with oil from the header 19. This firing means may be identical with that first above described, and like that, is supplied with air from the chamber 26. Regulation of the burner mechanism may be made through openings 31, provided with suitable closures in the rear wall of the preliminary heating chamber.

The air chamber 26, beingcommon to both burner hoods, forms a large pressure chamber or equalizing reservoir of air surrounding both, and thus provides a desirable balance of a'ir pressure on all sides of the air openings in the ring valves, which condition insures a long and symmetrical ame plume from each burner of uniform character. Both flame plumes play in .therv same general direction, each being desir-` ably axial of its chamber. Air is introduced to the heated chamber 26 and hence to bothI burners through the air pipe 27 from a fan 28 which is best provided with low and highk pass through the chamber and the oil becomes similarly preheated. Ordinarily the primary combustion chamber should be of considerably greater volume than the secondary, the secondary chamber being relaand partly from the natural stack draft...

@n this account and also by reason of the smaller diameter of the secondary chamber the gas velocity therein is materially greater than .in the primary, and for this reason and because 0f the effectiveness of radiation from the permanently heated walls, combustion becomes substantially perfect.

secondary chamber and the stack being as direct and free as possible, the combined effect of the described structure is to give a somewhat lower pressure in the secondary chamber than in the primary chamber, and this vdifferential pressure relation is maintained at whatever rate the burners are being driven, since said burners are fed with fuel and `air respectively from common pressure supplies.

The above described construction provides means for independently adjusting the quality and velocity ofthe iame delivered to each combustionchamber and means for simultaneously varying the rate of driving of the burners.

As shown in Fig. 1, a portion 32 of near the burner may form a partial baiile for the ame and the hot gases therefrom, giving an initial downward sweep against the floor after which they are deflected up ward obliquely toward the top of the chamber where the gases from the upper chamber are entering the lower chamber, the two streams of gases meeting at an angle appreaching a right angle, andA thoroughly mixing by the slight directional change thus produced without throttling effect. The predominating sweep of the gases in the lower chamber is `strongly toward the stack, so much so that the angular impingement of the burner flame and gases against the incoming gases does not materially lessen the general action-of the swiftly owing gases as a whole in the lower chamber. But the angular impingement does produce a thorough yintermi'ngling of the gases at this point, andthe swirls and eddies thus pro- Fur- 4thermore, the communication between the .theh roof of the secondary combustion chamber' duced continue as the gases rush on through the lower chamber and out to the stack Such conditions are obviously eminently del' sirable for the most perfect combustion. It is to be understood that the conditions in the lower or secondary combustion chamber are maintained strongly oxidizing by admitting an excess of airthrough the valves of the lower burner and its conduit. A most intense combustion at very high temperatures is thus obtained in the secondary chamber,a combustion suiliciently intense to vconsume even the most diilicultly combustible gases formed in operations of this kind.-

rIhe apparatus may be constructed of fire brick or other suitable refractory material incased, if desired, in an iron or steel shell, the partition wall between the preliminary air and/ combustion chambers being of such thickness as will transmit eHectively the desired heat for preheating the oil and air.

ln using the described apparatus, the fan having been started and the fuel in the fuel tank having beenplaced under pressure and admitted to the burners, thev burners are lighted and the desired character of flame obtained by suitably manipulating the ring Valves controlling the admission of air from the common air supply chamber. The burnerin the secondary combustion chamber. should be supplied with a larger proportion of air than that in the other chamber. This preliminary adjustment also establishes the optimum ratio between the rates at which the burners in the respective combustion Achambers are to be `driven so as to give the desired suction of the gases from the primary into the secondary combustion chamber. This ratio established, the absolute speed or rate at which the burners are to be driven can be varied for both burners simultaneously without altering the bal anced ratio between conditions in the two chambers to a material or undesirable degree, such coincident speed variation being obtained. by varying the pressures on the common fuel and air supplies respectively, either separately or together and in the obvious manner. The early stages of the cremation are, in the case of organic matter, substantially a distillation process, moisture and volatile combustible products being driven olf and a gradual vcharring taking place. This is a heat absorbing operation, and were it not for the provision of the secondary combustion chamber, a large amount of such volatile combustibles, many ofwhich do not burn with extreme readiness', would escape combustion, partly on .account of the atterdant reduction in temperature. Partial combustion o f these matters does however occur in the primary chamber, andthe mixed gases, containing more or less free oxygen pass downwardly and rearwardly lthrough the connecting conduit where, by

the combustion continues. The converging walls of the connecting passage aid in this mixing operation. The combustible matter still in the 'gases is consumed by the sharp oxidizing iiame of the lower burner which strikes the gases as they enter obliquely after two reversals in direction into the lower chamber. The gass'issuing from the stack are colorless, odorless and otherwise inoffensive.

The non-volatile charred carbonaceous residue from the first stages of the cremation burns off' as the temperature of the primary chamber rises after the distillation stage, leaving a clean ash free otorganic matter. The resulting gases may contain products of incomplete combustion, but the subsequent treatment in the lower chamber eliminates these as before described.

After cremation is complete and the flame extinguished, access to the primary chamber for the removal of the ashes is neces sarily delayed until the temperature of the interior has fallen to a safe point. This delay, a period of idleness of the whole plant, is diminished to a minimum by the present invention, by keepingthe fan running and delivering air, through large chamber 26 and the burners into the primary and secondary combustion chambers. The chamber 26 will at that moment contain a large volume of heated air which will first pass into the combustion chambers through the burners and burner sleeves and prevent sudden chilling' of the highly heated walls of the apparatus such as might cause cracking of the refractory lining. During the cooling stage the fan is advantageously run at considerably higher speed than during the combustion stage in order to produce a rapid passage of tempered air in large volume through the crematory1 chambers. As further volumes of fresher and cooler air are sent into vthe heating chamber and thence,

into the combustion chambers, the temperature rcontinues to fall, without however allowing the heat gradient to exceed a safe limit, until the atmosphere within the chamber is cool enough to breathe with impunity, even though the walls of the chamber may still be but partially cooled from their former high temperature. The ashes may then be removed and a new subject substituted whereupon the crematory will be ready for the next operation without the necessity of repeating'the tedious process of again heating up. It is an objection to the ordinary cremation process that whereas but from to hour may be required-for the actual cremation, some three or four hours are required to heat up in the first place, and three or four more to cool off,

after which heating up must be again gone through with. The present invention re.

-duces this limitation on the capacity of the crematory to such extent as to 'render it substantially continuous in operation.

What I claim is:- 1. Cremation apparatus comprising a primary combustion hearth chamber, a secondary combustion chamber in communication' and arranged in series therewith, flame producing means opening into each combustion chamber above the base thereof, means for supplying fluid fuel to said iiame producing means and means for simultaneously varying in like degree the action of said 'flame producingmeans. Y

2. -Cremation apparatus comprising a hearth chamber, an auxiliary combustionchamber receiving eiiiuent gases therefrom, an individual jet flame producing means for each chamber and a preheater chamber in heat-receiving relationship to both said chambers andV arranged to deliver warmed air to both said flame producing means.

3. Cremation apparatus comprising a pair of combustion chambers having individual axial flame-producing means and arrangedin series, one such chamber being a hearth chamber and the other a flue chamber, a preheater in heat-receiving relation to both said combustion chambers and serving as a source of warm airsupply to both said combustion chambers, and positively acting l means for discharging warm air fromsaid preheater through said flame 'producing means.

4.. In a cremation apparatus, a refractory walled crematory chamber, firing means therefor, an air heating chamber in lheat receiving relationship thereto and controllable positively acting means for alternatively blowing air from said heating chamber to the firing means in relatively small volume and for blowingy large volumes of rapidly moving air therefrom to said cremation chamber to effect cooling of said chamber after a combustion operation.`

5. In cremation apparatus, the combination with a refractory walled crematory chamber and a. communicating preheater chamber in heat-receiving relation thereto, of positively actingV means for blowing a large volume of rapidly moving air through said preheater chamber and said crematory chamber, whereby said crematory chamber may be cooled after a combustion operation by warmed air.

6. Cremation apparatus comprising a primary combustion chamber, a secondary combustion chamber in communication and arranged in series therewith, firing means for each combustion chamber, means -for simultaneously supplying iiuid fuel to said firing means, an air supply chamber in free communication with both said ring means and 1 in heat-receiving relation to said combustion chambers, and means for supplying air` under pressure to said air supply chamber.

7. Cremation apparatus comprising a pri` mary combustion chamber,a secondary combustion chamber in communication therewith, ring means for each combustion chamber, means for supplying Huid fuel to -said firing means, an air supply chamber. in

free communication with both said irng means and in heat-receiving relation to said combustion chambers, means for supplying air under pressure to said air supply chamber, and means for simultaneously varying the amount of fuel supplied to both said ring means. i

8. Cremation apparatus comprising a primary combustion chamber, a secondary combustion chamber, a gas conduit connecting the said chambers, an air pressure and preheater chamber in heat-receiving relation to said combustion chambers, jet burners -a-rranged to deliver iiames into said combustion chambers and deriving warmed and compressed air for combustion from said air pressure chamber as a common source of supply, means for supplying air under pressure to said air pressure chamber, and simultaneously regulable. fuel supply means for said burners.

9. Cremation apparatus comprising a primary combustion chamber, a secondary combustion chamber in communication therewith, an air supply chamber in heat-receiving relation to adjacent ends of said combustion chambers, jet burners mounted in such adjacent chamber ends to deliver iame jets into said chambers and'arranged to take air from said air supply chamber, valved means for admitting air to said burners,

.means for supplying air vto said air supply chamber at different pressures, and means for supplying fluid fuel to said burners.

10; In an apparatus for cremation, a combustion chamber having a suitable end Wall, an air pressure chamber in heat-receiving relation to said wall, a jacket or casing positioned in said wall and opening into saidl combustion chamber and provided with adj ustable means for admitting air from said pressure chamber, a jet burner mounted within said casing and arranged to deliver flame into said combustion chamber, means for supplying air under pressure to said pressure chamber. and Huid fuel supply said chambers, tiring means for each chamber arranged to deliver iiame lengthwise thereof, means for independently adjusting the quality and velocity of the flame delivered to each combustion chamber, and means for simultaneously varying the rate of driving said burners.

12. ln a crematory apparatus, a refractory walled cremation chamber, a fluid fuel burner located in and passing through one l wall thereof and having an air passage and a' fuel passage, an air chamber having refractory walls and in heat receiving relation to said cremation chamber andin free communication with said air passage and positively acting means for forcing air into said chamber, said means being adapted to furnish. dierent amounts of air to said air chamber at dierent times.

13. A crematory chamber having means for supporting the corpse therein, a fuelburning mechanism for heating said chamber including a source oef air under pressure and means for artificially cooling such chamber comprising positively acting means for increasing the volume of air delivered to and forced through the burner mechanism to the chamber.

l14. A. crematory chamber of the kind described, having means for supporting a corpse therein, a fuel burning mechanism for heating the chamber, means for conducting air to such burner mechanism in amount suited to accommodate the maximum combustion therein, and means for artificially ADALBERT K. FSCHER.

vitnesses D. W. HILDRETE, THos. W. MURPHY. 

